Running all your gear on your belt?
 

That's basically the question. I tried to search for info, but I either don't know what to search, or I'm simply blind.

As anyone already did it? Is it viable? Is it something you would recommend against?

I'm still in the process of figuring my gear. I don't know if I want a PC, a Molle Tac Vest or anything. Chest rig seems cool but I'm not interested. But a build I saw on a forum struck me as really interesting.

What if someone was to run all the needed gear on his belt?

I know for you guys, it would be impossible since you all have forty thousand mags, grenades, smoke, comms and everything else I can think of.

But for me, since I'm starting, I only need some mags (5 + the one in the gun maybe)... err and a dump pouch if I don't have the time to put back the empty mag in an empty slot.
For hydration, I know a couple of ''camelback'' hydration carrier that can be used as a backpack or attached to a Molle gear, so I could use that.
Like this, with optional straps to use as a standalone carrier: http://www.surpluspontrouge.com/en/h...-2/coyote-tan/

I don't even know which type of belt I should use, but obviously one that can fit all the needed stuff on it (mag pouch, etc.).
If the weight is too great, "suspenders" can be used, I guess.

This image is from a video game, but add the hydration pack and it looks functional for me.

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/gh...der_Pepper.jpg

Keep in mind I have zero gear right now, and still don't know what to buy.
I might (and will) have some more questions after this one.

I hate vests, heavy, bulky, loud
I wear a belt, a holster, some pistol mag pouches, a dump pouch, and a dropleg or belt mag pouch if I'm using a rifle, but I usually only carry 2-3 spare mags for each my primary and secondary, if you start carrying lots of mags it gets awkward quickly,

I do also occasionally wear pants and a shirt

It can work but gets bulky and heavy. I run a belt rig only when it's pistol only or if I'm not intending to engage with more than a few rounds at a time.

Pistol/duty belt
Pistol holster
2 double mag pouches (4 mags)
1 double pistol mag pouch (2 mags)
Radio pouch
Dump pouch

Add a camelbak that can be dropped to get lighter

It does get heavy so I wear suspenders to support it all. A chest rig can go on top for longer patrols or to get in the fire fight with the boys on the front line. Or rather, to help the boys raise hell with the other team.

You won't know what suits you until you get out to a game.

My first game was all borrowed from a friend. The weapon, vests, everything. If you have the ability to borrow from someone for a game do it. If you don't, try to "try on" gear and get it in your hands and on you to get an idea for the feel.

Get out and spectate a match. Talk to people. Ask if you can try their gear on cause your researching for your own kit.

Unless you physically touch and use the gear you really will not know. And until you start playing and get an idea for your play style and what gear works best for certain play styles you won't know. So you may find that you'll buy something, but doesn't fit your play style and you may end up selling it anyways.

Ducky has a belt config using TACOs. It's pretty light weight and minimal see if you can pester him to post a pic up for the gent? He showed it to me on the weekend, I thought it was quite smart.

I run an HSGI Sure Grip Padded Belt with the following:
4x Taco mag pouches (2x2 double-stacked) at my 9 to 11 o'clock
1x Eagle FB M4 open-top mag pouch at my 8o'clock.
1x Tactical Tailor single 9mm pistol mag pouch up front attached to the Cobra belt that's holding the HSGI SG belt
Safariland holster with Bawidamann PUP MOLLE adapter at 3o'clock
Radio pouch at 4 o'clock.

I'm more of a primary gunfighter (the odd time that I had to pull my pistol, I was basically hosed anyway and let's face it - against 400fps+ AEGs, your 300fps pistol doesn't stand much of a chance unless you get lucky), so that explains my skimpy secondary ammunition loadout.

I actually prefer the belt rig over a chest rig system in hotter climates as it allows my upper body to breathe a lot better and ideally you'd want most of your weight centered around your core anyway, not up high where it'll cause you additional strain on your back. I'm a wedding photographer on weekends and I run about 10-12lbs of lenses and gear on my belt for 16 hours a day vs a slung bag over the shoulder.

Make sure you get a quality belt - in my mind, only 2 belts quality off the top of my head - the Brokos Belt and the HSGI Sure Grip belt.


In CQB environments where I need to go very fast and light, I'll run:
ARES Gear Enhanced Ranger belt with M4 open-top mag holders (2x), pistol mag holder and holster (all custom kydex).
That's it.
For colder outdoor climates, I'll buddy that up with a Mayflower APC thrown over top with 6094 insert (holds 3 mags) and a radio pouch.

then it's essentially the same as mine. you can bug him just as well!

double mag pouches = double rifle taco's or double shingles just depends how I'm feeling that day.

you will notice in the image you provided that there is an H harness or suspenders incorporated into the setup to hold the extra weight. Essentially it is a chest rig without a molle platform in the fron. Try a canadian rig the old one. I wanna say its a 86 or 96 rig ill look it up and repost.
its baisicly a belt(not a pants belt but an "over belt" like in yer pic) it has the H harness/suspenders and then has a bunch of pouches and its modular so u can remove adjust or add to the pouches.

okay so its Canadian 82 pattern web gear. There are alot of em in surpluss now so they are cheap (50-70$) and easy to find and OD so the work with most camo.
http://armyissue.com/catalog/images/normal_206_0601.JPG
i personnaly use a chest rig with a belt.
a drop leg holster on the right above that on the rig is another holster for the gemtec oasis
on my 1-2 oclock are two open top short m16/m14 mag pouch with dual 40mm nade pouches ontop of em ( they uold various crap sniper mags or smokes and lighter or smoke nades)
from 12 -8 oclock is a tripple doubble m4 mag pouch
radio in the admin pouch pocket
knife on the left shoulder strap dumper is right in front centre.

when i am sniping i run a belt with a drop leg m9 in the drop leg with an extra mag
have the gemtech on the back of the belt. Mp5k slung over the back (ya i know over kill lol)
two extra sniper mags on the strap that holds the belt to the drop leg in a dual pistol mag pouch facing backwards (up when prone)
and a fanny pack with a bunch of mp5 mags off to the left side

I run a belt rig all the time.
It has a Dump pouch for mags and various stuff, mag pouches, the radio pouch if it's a game with radio, plus a general use pouch to store papers and keys.
the hydration kit takes care of the rest and even then a bottle can fit in the dump pouch.

my advice for that kind of kit is to wear another belt for the pants, tight enough, that will hold the duty belt in postition.
straps and panels on legs will drag your belt down so they'll work better if the belt is a little tight.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hoplophile/Belt.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4101/...a916d988_b.jpg

check rigs by typing "pouches on the belt rig" in google you'll get examples

wow jimski two mags thats it? Or are more hidden in the gp pouch?

if you are playing short sharp engagements with little expectation of having to sustain yourself in a fight for a long time you can probably get away with a solid first line rig.

3-4 mags , a holster and a couple of mags for you secondary, plus a couple of utility pouches for other bits .. and you are golden.

Then later on add a chest rig for sustaining a longer fight.. longer games

Then later on add a assault pack for longer term sustainment

then add a large pack for carryign your gear for a 24 hour or longer game.

Wow, thanks for all the great answers. I'm starting to get really interested in doing this.

Yup, he does have suspenders, which I don't mind at all.
I just prefer to have all my stuff lower than chest, so a standard chest rig is not my cup of tea.

Jimsky: I love the look, and I will definitely google for more.
Stealth: As always, lots of info, thanks!
Coach: Noted. Have any pictures :P?

Also, the HSGI stuff looks good. Both the belt and the pouches. Where did you get yours?

Edit: Brian: I don't plan on firing a lot, and don't own enough mags anyway, so for my first(s) games, what you described is perfect.

Do you have any experience and/or opinions regarding the Condor Gen2 Battle Belt?

I am considering purchasing one (with matching H-Harness) to use outdoors during the summer... I like to limit what I carry on my back as much as possible.

Another option that I'm considering is the Pantac LBE.

no these are not my kit these are from the internets
on my belt I usually use 10 mags

that makes more sense lol.
and to the OP a "chest rig" actually keeps most of the gear around yer mid section/stomach area.

Well, Jimski beat me to it, but I took the time to dust off my belt and take a picture, so here it is.

http://i48.tinypic.com/vxpxt.jpg

From left to right: double pistol mag pouch, double M16 mag pouch, pistol holster, radio pouch with 1x pistol mag pouch and shotgun shells holder, large accessory pouch (usually for mission objectives, shown with mags here), dump pouch, molle accessory pouch that fits a canteen with a double pistol mag pouch attached to it and a double M16 mags pouch.

The belt with full load is rather heavy, but it helps to keep your center of gravity low. This kind of setup leaves all your BDU pockets empty and you can access all of them. If you have an ACU cut BDU, the arms, legs and chest pockets hold mags quite nicely. If you play in a real mag capacity game and you need to carry 8-10 of them, they fit nicely in there. Having access to the pockets on your chest is also nice to carry maps, rules, objectives or other paperwork.

This setup is especially nice in hot summer days, as there is nothing pushing your BDU close to your body to keep the sweat in.

Chest rig should be worn high enough to not interfere with abdominal flexibility, bottom of the rig should be no lower than your lowest rib. most people wear them too low... in fact most people wear most of their gear too low.

ya i have that issue a bit problem being im too damn short and skinny lol (5ft6-5ft7 and 135lb) i even orderd from china hopin it would be a smaller cut but even with the damin pannel at my coller bones the bottom of the rig is close to my waist, so close in fact i gotta run the belt behind the rit rather then below
doesnt really obstruct my twisting and bending cause even snugged up its still "roomy"
thats why ima grab some 82 gear i think itll work beter on my small frame and still give me almost the same ammonunt of room for stuff if i organize it well and piggy back some pouches.

Maxpedition and HSGI make a very small low profile chest rig that can fit small frame humans.

Teammate had it. I tried it, but really, after using the HSGI you can't go back to anythign else. The HSGI has this really supple, gel-like anti-slip neoprene padding that's simply sublime and prevents your belt from rotating.

Got my HSGI belt direct from HSGI. I got lucky and snagged one of their "blem" belts for like $40. I inspected it for a good 20 minutes and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. *Shrug*

Shellback Tactical Banshee.

Best plate carrier for small dudes. I'm same dimensions as you hectic and it fits like a glove. An asian friend of mine who is a bit smaller wears it as well. It also has the flexibility to fit BIG dudes too.

Thanks for the info Stealth, I going to check their web site now...

The only downside that I've felt is the weight...if you run suspenders that goes a long way to helping.

It's really nice to drop your 3rd/2nd line stuff if the situation warrants it, especially when it's hot...without being totally without stuff. i.e. long games, down time, etc...

At some of the longer games (24-30hrs things) it's handy to run just your first line all the time, then "gear up" for assaults/etc...

thanks Brian.
m.garcia im not big on plate carriers but if i ever need or want one now i know where to start thank you as well

The best advice has been given, I will re-say it, the best way to figure out what works for you gear wise, is go play!

I went from running just a couple of small pouches on a BDU pants belt, to a full battle belt, chest rig combo.

I am slowly graduating more onto my belt, so that for longer games, I can take off the chest rig and be battle-ready with just the belt.

My advice is, keep it simple, keep it light, but keep it to what you actually use, not what you think you will use.
Mine now consists of 2 M4 Mag Taco pouches, 2 double pistol mag pouches (4 1911 mags) dump pouch, canteen, small utility pouch, kill rag pouch, and a holster for my sidearm. Even with just this, I find it gets a bit heavy, need to keep it tight, and use suspenders with it for long term wear.
This allows me to be ready to respond if needed, but I can easily just toss my chest rig on for a battle.

For a skirmish or indoor game, I dont even bother with the chestrig, I add a couple more mag pouches for M4 mags, even just run a bandoleer or carry some in your pockets.

Running just a belt is feasible for the right situation.

But again, go out and play, that is the best and really only feasible way to find out what works for you :) 4 years since I got all of this loadout, and I am still always changing things around or adding/subtracting.

As time goes by you will adapt your loadout to the activities you are doing.

for a 24 hour gig I will have a belt rig for basic load , this will work for a Short patrol as well, I can pull on a chest rig that will give me sustainment for an assault or in defense for a protracted fight. .. then a small pack if I am going to be out for several hours doing a few different things .

sometimes I just put on a smock and load up the pockets .. this is ideal for night recce, slick profile, and silent.

there is no 1 size fits all loadout, you have to adapt the tools to the job

I use the right angle belt from Flyye as my only way to carry my stuff around. I use 4 universal mag pouch and a grenade pouch on one of them, I have a radio pouch, a dump pouch, a holster and a double ak mag pouch for 6 other mags. Here are some pictures of my belt.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B697...it?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B697...it?usp=sharing

I have the condor battle belt and h harness... Get the condor belt and if you don't want anything on your back, the pantac suspenders.. or rig your own. I didn't have issues with it going anywhere, but just in case it droops or if you have a flat ass.

The pantac suspenders are lower profile, so the nice thing is you can layer something on top of it, like tiny plate carrier or chest rig without the suspenders being in the way. you can't really do that with the condor h harness since the shoulder straps are more plate carrier or backpack-like and there is a molle panel on the back for a water carrier. With the pantac suspenders on longer games, you can haul more gear out onto the field, and just dump what's on top at you CP and go light weight to run around.

I'm no geardo - but to the OP - "First Line Kit" is exactly the term you are searching for, give that a go on google and several good posts and links will come up even from some of the users on here previous posts about the exact same thing.

I've recently started building my own for an upcoming game, i've purchased the Eagle Industries War Belt in Multicam - lots of molle real estate and extremely adjustable. I like to wear it high around my waist as opposed to my hips - it leaves a lot more functional movement room, especially for games in the winter where you're usually wearing a big jacket (hence the reason i'm trying out a belt)

Edit: Build it based on your functionality and what you can access very quickly under pressure. I am a FIRM believer in functionality and efficiency over dressing up and prancing around like its cosplay.

For snipers it's understandable, you want to keep your mags lower and off to the side because you're often on your belly.

Imo the best way to run mags is with a plate carrier in the kangeroo pouch. I have a couple different kinds of PCs and with the famous 6094a you can't go wrong.

Basic setup for me is 3 or 6 mags in the kangeroo pouch, depending on the game/event, plus one in the gun. 2-3 pistol mags with kydex inserts on your reloading hand side, 1-2 smoke grenade pouch on the side as well, and a radio in the cummerbund or in a mbitr pouch, a hydration pouch on the back. I find a radio a little uncomfortable in the cummerbund since the "a" is pretty small and snug on me. Basically I keep the mags right in the front at the chest. From there it's a short and fluent motion between transactions.

The only things I'd keep on my belt would be a pistol, maybe pistol mags, dump pouch and a utility pouch. I used to have one of those Molle assault belts, didnt really like it so I sold it.

Well, thanks for the great feedback :)

Since the general consent seems to be that I need to try things, I will try to do my build like that. If I don't like it, nearly all the gear can be used in conjunction with something else.

So, let's say I build it, the first line kit only loadout.

I need a good belt, of course. The HSGI seems promising.
I need (want) a harness with it. Is the condor one good enough, or I should shell out the extra money for a HSGI one?
I need some pouches. Will the X2R-TACO hold two PMAG 30G (G36 one) mag? Or should I get something cheaper like a Condor Double Stacker M4 Mag Pouch?

Thanks.

Yup your on the right track with those pouches, you could also try some of these fast mag pouches.

http://www.ebairsoft.com/emerson-em6...am-p-6024.html

The real ones are 30 bucks. I have some or the repros I linked to and they work great with p mags. You could shake it for days and they wont come out.

Since you run g36 mags check out the tasmanian tiger pouches at surplus pont rouge, they are made for g36 mags

For the belt I have an hsgi one, so if you want to see how it looks like we can arrange something

As for the harness, hsgi sells mostly suspenders but condor makes a good harness

Let us know if hou have other questions

I like running a belt rig. It takes off some the weight from my chest rig.

I run a HSGI battle belt with cobra belt, 3 HSGI pistol tacos, 2 HSGI rifle tacos, dump pouch, radio pouch and my secondary.

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps95b5cc4c.jpg

these are my kits
the dump pouch and the 'stuff pouch' travel from one belt to another.I often modify the kit during the OP also, to adapt.
these are cheapo old school belts bur Molle are much much better, mostly because stuff doesn't slide along a Molle belt.Here I have to tie pockets together to keep them in place.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...psff20809b.jpg

Keep it simple. I have a chest rig just so I can carry spare mags for team mates multitools loadsers batteries etc. I use my ballistic belt for my spare 249 box and pistol mags. Light easy to move and fast.

I just wear a leather belt...

I'll update some questions I had before.

Will TWO G36c PMAGS (This) fit into this: http://www.highspeedgearinc.com/prod...2R-TACO&cat=34
I think they are thicker than the standard Pmags, but maybe they fit?

Which pouch will fit two of them ? What do you recommend?

Also:

Should I save money on the Condor Harness or buy the real HSGI one?

Thanks.

The should fit into TACO pouches, they fit about any mag...
The HSGI Harness is of better quality.... buy real buy once ;)